1. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to peer-to-peer networks and in particular to a device and method for participating in a peer-to-peer network
2. Background Information
The so-called web 2.0 phenomenon involving information sharing and collaboration has sparked increasing demand for peer-to-peer networking. Peer-to-peer networking involves diverse inter-connectivity between members of a network in which all members are simultaneously both clients and servers to other members of the network. Early peer-to-peer networks were an overlay on the internet and included a centralised registration and discovery server. With the increased popularity of wireless and mobile networking involving multiple devices in both local and personal area networks pure decentralised peer-to-peer networks, which lack a centralised registration and discovery server, have become more popular.
One of the problems facing developers of peer-to-peer networks is the diversity in devices connecting to the network and the dynamic nature of network members brought about by the increased popularity in mobile networking devices such as laptops, handheld PCs, PDAs and mobile telephones for example Some members of the network are permanent or more stable members such as desktop PCs and TV set top boxes, while other members are transient such as laptops, PDAs and mobile telephones. Not every type of device in the network is suited to every type of peer-to-peer connection, for example two-way communications, web log and web forum browsing are resource light applications suitable for most of the devices, but video streaming and large file download are only suitable applications for high power devices more stable members such as desktop PCs and TV set top boxes. These factors pose quality of service and network discovery, lockup and routing issues for network designers.
In addition, an increase in the number and type of networkable devices means that a user member of a peer-to-peer network may typically connect to the network using a plurality of different types of device such as a desktop or home PC, a television set top box, a laptop and a handheld device such as a mobile phone or PDA. In current peer-to-peer network architectures each device belonging to the same user is a unique member of the distributed network and the user has no way of coordinating and best utilising the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of device within the network architecture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for participating in a distributed peer-to-peer network, and a method for establishing peer-to-peer communications in a distributed peer-to-peer network, which seeks to ameliorate the above disadvantages by providing means to best utilise the capabilities of members of a peer-to-peer network. It is a further object of the present invention to provide said device and said method to at least offer the public with a useful alternative.